The William Marvy Company of St. Paul: Keeping Barbershops Classic

by Curt Brown

Overview

The William Marvy Company's barber poles, encased swirls of red and blue above a rounded stainless-steel base, hang on street corners around the country. The company began creating the vibrant signposts in St. Paul three generations ago. Modern versions of the bloody rags used by surgeon-barbers in the Middle Ages, barber poles are well-known icons, but the Marvy family story is largely unknown. From his humble beginnings as the son of a Latvian émigré carpenter through the growing pains of his namesake company, Marvy showed business acumen and innovation that culminated with his invention of a shatterproof barber pole, ensuring the company's continued success. From crew cuts and the Beatles up through today, barber poles have remained an easily recognized social constant.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626195691
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	01/19/2015
Series:	Landmarks
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Curt Brown earned degrees in history and American studies from Macalester College, around the corner from the William Marvy Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. He worked for the Fergus Falls Daily Journal, the Associated Press, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and spent twenty-six years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Table of Contents

Foreword Eric Dregni 5

Acknowledgements 7

Introduction 9

1 Emerging from the Basement 15

2 A Bloodstained History 33

3 The Lean Years 43

4 A Visit to the Factory Floor 59

5 A Many Travelogue 77

Epilogue 109

Appendix: From Pyramids to Marvy 113

Bibliography 117

Index 121

About the Author 127